Week 3: Group Night at Billy’s Place!

Amita B -

Hi everyone!

This week, I participated in Monday’s grief group night at Billy’s Place, which supports families who have lost a parent or spouse. I took note of the evening’s structure, which plays an important role in supporting grieving families.

A typical group night starts at 6:00 PM, with participants gathering for dinner—usually pizza. This routine provides a sense of consistency for the kids while also easing the burden on parents, ensuring they don’t have to worry about dinner that night.

The evening begins with an opening circle, where everyone introduces themselves, shares the name of their “special person,” and talks about how they’re feeling. Billy’s Place uses the terms “special person” and “person” interchangeably, as not everyone had a close or positive relationship with the loved one they lost. This language ensures inclusivity, particularly for parents attending in support of their children.

For this session, I was placed in the teen group, and I noticed that conversations flowed more naturally compared to my previous experience with the “Littles” group (ages 4-7). Our activity for the night was making memory jars, which provided an opportunity to reflect on and discuss special memories with our loved ones.

At the end of the night, I had the chance to hear how the other groups’ sessions went. The adult group had an unexpectedly quiet evening, with long pauses of silence, as participants weren’t as engaged in the planned activities. In contrast, the Littles group was much more energetic, preferring physical activities over reflective ones like the memory jars.

Observing how different age groups process grief was really interesting. While some found comfort in quiet reflection, others engaged more through movement and play. Each session reinforces how personal and unique the grieving process is for everyone.

I’m excited for my next group night at Billy’s Place and to continue my research. Keeping track of these observations is helping me better understand grief across different ages, and I look forward to exploring this further in my work and adding to my research paper!

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Comments:

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    camille_bennett
    Amita, I love that you are seeing how different ages process grief. Did you notice other instances where specific language was used to promote inclusivity? Or perhaps where language was changed to meet the needs of different ages?
    March 4, 2025 at 12:45 pm - Reply
    shriya_s
    Hi Amita, this is such an interesting and relevant topic! I'm curious, you mentioned that the adult group was unexpectedly quiet, whereas the littles group was more energetic. How was the teen group compared to them? You did say the conversation flowed more naturally but did you see any lapses or spikes in enthusiasm, or other patterns related to that?
    March 4, 2025 at 5:13 pm - Reply
    amita_b
    Hi! I’ve only seen it with the change of person, but I’m keeping my eye out for more instances. It’s important not to change the language surrounding death too much, especially for kids. For younger ages, especially in more traumatic cases, there may be a need to soften the language a little, but the main idea should still be conveyed clearly. Kids must be told the truth and understand what’s happening. Thanks for the comment!
    April 16, 2025 at 3:57 pm - Reply
    amita_b
    Hi Shriya! Thanks for the comment! In the teen group, it was much more reserved and quiet. It took a bit more effort to get them talking, and there was a lack of conversation at first, which is quite normal for that age group. However, many factors influenced how engaged they were that night, like how comfortable they were with the volunteers.
    April 16, 2025 at 4:01 pm - Reply

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